Stanzi Down – Hawkeyes Out
In what should have been a good victory, the Iowa Hawkeyes lose their quarterback with a foot injury and their hopes of a BCS Title shot all in one game. The Hawks got out to a great start, scoring a touchdown on their first drive, followed by a field goal to go up 10-0. Then the unexpected hit on Stanzi in the endzone in which he injured his ankle and coughed up the ball for a Northwestern touchdown turned the entire game around.
Freshman James Vendernberg was just 9 of 27 for 82 yards and couldn’t lead the Hawkeyes to any points after Stanzi left the game. In fact, his first pass was an interception. The Hawkeyes had a chance to tie late in the fourth, but a failed fourth down gave the Wildcats the ball back with less than 1:30 left. Northwestern won 17-10 in a heartbreaking loss.
A trip to the Rose Bowl, not the BCS title game — may be the best Iowa can hope for after getting knocked off by Northwestern. Next week’s game at Ohio State will go a long way in determining their Bowl fate.
